Contact geometry and surface fatigue—minimizing the risk of headcheck formation

Surface fatigue of rails is a growing concern for modern railways. Increased speed and higher axle loads provoke surface damage (known as headchecks) in shallow curves of conventional lines. A long-term experiment has been launched by the German Railways (DB AG) to specify a target profile with appropriate tolerances for grinding to limit or even prevent, headcheck development. Furthermore, the information is expected on determining an optimal rail maintenance policy by grinding that balances wear and surface fatigue. The objective is to maximize rail service life and consequently optimize the life cycle costs of the rails.